INTRODUCTION OF ARABIDOPSIS GAI GENE CAUSED EARLY FLOWERING IN CARNATION

Extensive uses of chemicals in commercial production of ornamental plants have raised the concern over the human health and environment. Genetic engineering provides an alternative to avoid the use of chemicals. In order to reduce the plant height of carnation, the Arabidopsis gai gene under the 35S promoter was transformed into the cultivar 'German Red' by Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Five transgenic clones were recovered and confirmed by PCR and Southern analyses. In vitro shoot cultures of the most transgenic clones showed a clear increase in shoot length in response to exogenous GA 3 , compared to the non-transgenic control. Growth analysis in the greenhouse showed that two out of five transgenic clones had an increased stem length. All the transgenic clones flowered under the greenhouse conditions, while no flowering was observed for the non-transgenic control.